LC 5552 
.W4 A5 
J 1916 
| Copy 1 



STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA 

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOLS 

CHARLESTON 
1916 



Evening Classes 

FOR 



West Virginia Elementary Schools 



Containing Information and Suggestions on the Organization of 
Evening Classes in Rural, Village and Town Schools 



Prepared by 

L. J. HANIFAN 

State Supervisor of Rural Schools 

Wilder the Direction of 

M. P. SHAWKEY 

State Superintendent of Schools 



tcsssz 

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STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA 

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOLS 

CHARLESTON 

1916 



Evening Classes 

FOR 



West Virginia Elementary Schools 



Containing Information and Suggestions on the Organization of 
Evening Classes in Rural, Village and Town Schools 



Prepared by 

L. J. HANIFAN 

State Supervisor of Rural Schools 

Under the Direction of 

M. P. SHAWKEY 

State Superintendent of Schools 



of D. 

FEB 13 1912 






EVENING CLASSES 



A Nation-wide Campaign 

For a number of years the principal cities throughout the country 
have maintained night schools, or evening classes, as a legitimate 
part of their respective school systems. It is only recently that 
evening classes have been offered among rural, village and town 
schools. The Kentucky "moonlight" school is perhaps the most 
notable example of this phase of our rural school work. But recently 
a number of other states have undertaken to provide evening classes 
for rural communities. Doctor P. P. Claxton, United Slates 
Commissioner of Education, has lately inaugurated a nationwide 
campaign for the extension of evening classes throughout the whole 
country. 

What West Virginia Has Done 

For the past twenty-five years individual teachers of West 
Virginia have conducted evening classes. The number in any one 
year has not been large. Nobody said much about the work. 
There are no written records of the work. And yet older persons 
here and there will tell you about the night schools of fifteen to 
twenty-five years ago. 

But last year, 1915-16, a definite movement was started for 
the organization of evening classes among rural, village and town 
schools. Available reports show that there were 150 to 200 such 
night schools in the state. This was strictly a voluntary movement 
and so far as I know the teachers of these night schools did this 
work with no remuneration except the good will of those whom 
they taught. These teachers deserve the highest praise that may 
be given them. We hope that a great many more teachers will join 
thir roll of honor for the year 1916-17. 



Notable Examples 

Two of the most successful night schools that came under my 
observation the past year were found in Church district, Wetzel 
County, — one at the Carney school with an enrollment of 30, and 
the other at the Rock Camp school with an enrollment of 53 — both 
of which are one-room country schools. In these schools the Eng- 
lish subjects, (reading, spelling, writing), arithmetic, civics and 
agriculture were taught. But the teachers aimed to meet the needs 
of the people just as nearly as was possible. In connection with 
arithmetic practical bookkeeping or farm accounting was taught. 
In agriculture, potato culture, feeding of live stock, corn growing, 
and elementary facts about dairying were emphasized because the 
people of that district were most interested in these very things. 
I was at one of these night schools one evening when the county 
agricultural agent tested the milk of a number of cows in the com- 
munity. The farmers brought their samples and took the keenest 
interest in this work. At one of these schools also a class in domestic 
science was organized among the mothers and older girls. 

A very successful night school for foreigners has for two years 
been conducted at Minden, Fayette County, by Mr. Geo. W. Biggs, 
principal of the Minden school. The experience of Mr. Biggs shows 
conclusively that if properly approached and rightly treated, a very 
large proportion of our foreign population will take advantage of 
evening classes wherever they are offered. 

The "Centralized" Night School 

Teachers have found it best to maintain evening classes in country 
districts only at the most central points. Let the evening classes be 
offered then at the most central school house among a group of 
three or four schools. The teachers of the whole group join their 
forces at this central point. One may teach arithmetic and farm 
accounting, while another will teach the agricultural subjects. 
Such an arrangement is advantageous for two reasons; first, 
because it enlarges the area of the community and becomes in effect 
a larger community center; secondly, because it makes possible the 
offering of more subjects well taught then one teacher could do 
alone. No doubt in time boards of education will select and place 
their teachers with reference to such a scheme as this. In due time 
I think we shall come to the place where such a group of country 
school teachers will be selected somewhat with reference to their 
ability to teach some special subject, agriculture, say, in the central 



evening school. We should then have the same kind of speciali- 
zation that the high schools now enjoy. Furthermore, the central 
night school will have a tendency to bring about the centralization 
of the day schools. 

Not a School for Illiterates Only 

The West Virginia night school is not intended to be a school 
merely for the purpose of teaching illiterate adults to read and 
write. Our people are sensitive on this point. The word "illiterate" 
should in no case be applied to persons who are unable to read and 
write. Simply announce the night school for all who care to attend. 
Those who cannot read and write will enter the English classes and 
begin their work at the bottom. In this way, no one need be 
embarrassed. To speak of them as illiterates will simply keep them 
away. 

How to Begin 

It will be necessary to do some preliminary work before under- 
taking to organize a night school. Some of the leading citizens of 
the community should be made acquainted with the teacher's 
purpose and their co-operation should be sought. The teacher 
should also quietly make a survey of her community to determine 
approximately the number of persons that may be interested in the 
night school. When all plans for the work have been made, the 
teacher may then announce through the children and through those 
who are interested in helping her with the work that on a given 
evening the work will begin. She should see to it that all who are 
expected to enroll are advised of the opening of the school. It will 
be necessary to follow up the work closely by soliciting "scholars" 
to join the classes; for some will wait until they see whether the 
undertaking is a "go". If there is a parent-teachers' association or 
other organization in the community, their assistance should be 
sought. 

The Course of Study 

The work of the night school should be adapted to the actual 
needs of the people concerned. Local conditions must be considered. 
The night school is of the nature of vocaticn schools. For in most 
cases the students study the subjects of most interest to them from 
the standpoint of their ways of making a living. The English 
subjects, (reading, spelling and writing), the agricultural subjects, 



arithmetic and civics will constitute the course of study in most 
night schools. The students will usually fall into these groups. 
But where it is possible to do so, teachers should try to offer in- 
dividual instruction in exceptional cases. For example, last year 
at the Carney school, Wetzel County, a farmer came to the school 
and wished to enroll if he could learn how to feed and care for his 
cattle during the winter months. Instruction of that kind was 
offered and later three other farmers joined him. 

Some Opportunities for Evening Classes 

1. The Elimination of Illiteracy — the U. S. Census reports of 
1910 show that there were in West Virginia at that time 903,822 
persons who were 10 years of age or over. Of that number 74,866 
or 8.3 per cent, were unable to read and write. These reports show 
also that of the 338,349 males of voting age, 21 years, 35,040 or 10.4 
per cent, were unable to read and write. They show also that of 
the 260,504 persons 10 to 20 years of age, 11,367 or 4.1 per cent, 
were classed as illiterates. 

These figures point out the opportunity of the night school as a 
means of eliminating, or reducing, the rate of illiteracy in West 
Virginia. We do not think of this work as a matter solely of state 
pride. The important thing is that these persons who are classed 
as illiterates have been unfortunate enough not to acquire this 
minimum of learning when they were of school age. It may have 
been their fault and it may not have been their fault. At any rate 
a great many of these persons are now up against the proposition of 
making a living and of filling their places as members an>d citizens 
of their communities. They see now, if they did not see earlier, 
that they are handicapped on every hand by not knowing how to 
read and write the English language. While we may not attach as 
great importance to the elimination of illiteracy as some of the 
other states do, yet we are extremely anxious that any who desire 
to learn to read and write, or who can without embarrassment, be 
led to desire to learn to read and write, should have an opportunity 
to do so. 

2. Teaching Foreigners the English Language and American 
Citizenship — The teachers whose work is in the industrial districts 
of the state will readily understand the importance of night schools 
as a means of making good citizens of those who have come to us 
from foreign lands. A good many of these foreigners desire to 
become American citizens. All such persons desire to know the 



meaning of American citizenship as well as to have a knowledge of 
the English language. All of these foreign families desire to learn 
the English language. Teachers may get help in organizing evening 
classes among foreigners by writing the United States Bureau of 
Education, Washington, D. C, and North American Civic League 
for Immigrants, Boston, Mass. The Promised Land by Mary 
Antin, published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, is 
one of the very best books which one may read for the purpose of 
getting the point of view and the impressions of the the foreigners 
who come to America seeking a home and a comfortable fortune. 

3. Continuation Classes — In almost every community there are 
persons who know how to read and write and who may even have 
completed most of the common school subjects, but who now desire 
to continue their study as a means either of self-improvement or of 
vocational training. There are so many of our people who have 
received just the barest smattering of the common school subjects. 
They can read a little, write a little, and figure a little, but can do 
none of these very well. Then there are a lot of men who can manage 
to read and write fairly well but who do not understand the mathe- 
matical calculations necessary for them to carry on their daily 
work. Nor do they know how to keep their accounts, however 
small they may be. In agricultural communities there are a good 
many farmers who desire to study agriculture and farm accounting. 
Among the people just enumerated there is a fair field for the night 
schools. They are people who for one reason or another failed to 
take advantage of the schools when they were of school age. Now 
they see the need of a little more education. And they understand 
the particular kind of knowledge which they need in their daily 
lives. Hence they want the most practical kind of instruction. 

4. Cultural Subjects — In some c ommunities there may be found 
groups of persons who desire to study history, English literature or 
some other subject for the purpose of self-culture. The teacher 
will, of course, encourage such groups in every possible way and 
help all that he can. This kind of work could perhaps be carried 
on best as reading circle work. Under this head may come the 
Farmers' Clubs which are being widely extended under the direction 
and encouragement of the county agricultural agents. 



8 

Illiteracy in West Virginia 

List of counties showing rate of illiteracy for persons ten years of 
age and over and the rank each has for low rate of illiteracy : 

RANK COUNTY PER CENT. 

1 Brooke 2.5 

2 Wood 2.6 

3 Ohio 3.1 

4 Monongalia 4.6 

5 Ritchie 4.7 

6 Tyler 4.9 

7 Nicholas 5.3 

8 Hampshire, Lewis, Monroe 5.4 

9 Berkeley, Jackson, Marshall, Morgan, Preston 5.5 

10 Upshur, Wirt 5.6 

11 Hancock 6.2 

12 Roane 6.4 

13 Cabell, Mineral, Taylor 6.5 

14 Pleasants 6.6 

15 Mason :... 6.7 

16 Barbour, Doddridge 6.9 

17 Summers 7.1 

18 Pocahontas 7.4 

19 Greenbrier, Jefferson, Marion 7.7 

20 Calhoun, Harrison 7.8 

21 Wetzel 8.0 

22 Randolph 8.1 

23 Braxton, Webster 8.5 

24 Gilmer 8.7 

25 Hardy 9.0 

26 Boone 9.2 

27 Kanawha 9.7 

28 Pendleton 9.9 

29 Mercer 10.0 

30 Putnam 10.1 

31 Raleigh 10.4 

32 Wayne 10.9 

33 Fayette, Tucker 11.7 

34 Wyoming 12.3 

35 Grant 14.3 

36 Clay, Lincoln 15.6 

37 Logan 18.1 



38 Mingo 19.6 

39 McDowell 20.2 

State 8.3 

List of counties showing rate of illiteracy for persons between the 
ages of ten and twenty and the rank each county holds for low rate 
of illiteracy. 

RANK COUNTY PER CENT. 

1 Wood 8 

2 Brooke 9 

3 Ohio 1.0 

4 Taylor, Tyler 1.6 

5 Marshall, Monongalia, Upshur 1.7 

6 Ritchie 1.9 

7 Lewis, Monroe 2.0 

8 Preston, Roane, Wirt 2.1 

9 Hancock 2.3 

10 Jackson, Mason 2.4 

1 1 Hampshire 2.5 

12 Doddridge, Pleasants 2.6 

13 Barbour, Wetzel 2.9 

14 Cabell, Morgan 3.1 

15 Nicholas, Webster 3.2 

16 Marion 3.3 

17 Mineral 3.4 

18 Berkeley, Calhoun, Greenbrier 3.5 

19 Gilmer, Harrison, Jefferson, Summers 3.6 

20 Boone, Braxton 4.0 

21 Mercer 4.1 

22 Pocahontas 4.4 

23 Pendleton 4.9 

24 Randolph 5.0 

25 Kanawha, Putnam 5.1 

26 Wayne 5.2 

27 Fayette 5.4 

28 Hardy 5.6 

29 Tucker 5.8 

30 Raleigh 6.2 

31 Wyoming 6.4 

32 Grant 6.7 

33 Lincoln 8.2 

34 Clay 8.6 



10 

35 Logan 10.4 

36 McDowell 12.9 

37 Mingo 13.3 

State 4.1 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 930 373 1 




